Lessons Learned in First Year of Running

This year has been a transformational year for our family health wise, emotionally and physically. We have began a journey I hope we are able to continue for years and years to come! It's been life changing. Our perspective on things is totally different! You may think this all sounds silly and a bit exaggerated but I promise you, there is so much wholeness when the body, spirit, and mind align and work together for YOUR good! It's for you! It makes you a better version of yourself! Sure there are days when chocolate just has to be eaten, and days when exercise just doesn't happen, but the overall picture, the majority of the time, when your feeding your body healthy whole foods and exercising it with any kind of activity that suits you, it changes every area of your life. I have learned so so much about myself, my life, and my family through this journey to wellness. It's an experience that will never end because just like a relationship, it takes daily commitment, attention and intention. I'm so so fortunate, that not long into my journey, my other half saw the change and jumped aboard! We now experience all this together and it's AWESOME! We have daily conversations about our goals, joint and separate, about lessons we have learned, and about our future of wellness we have to look forward to! Chris was by no means unhealthy, but let's face it, you can be small size and active without really being intentional about your health. (Not the case with me but some are just naturally built with a smaller frame). And might I clarify too, that this journey was not just about losing weight (I came to find out just a couple months in), although that was an amazing side effect, but it was about loving myself, treating myself with respect, and nourishing every part of me, physically, mentally and spiritually. It's been an interesting learning experience as well. We have learned lessons, picked up the pieces from plans gone wrong, and attempted to heed the advice of fellow clean eaters and runners, while having to learn what works and what doesn't. We have learned that each journey is individual and a lot of trial and error is involved. So...here's just a few things we have learned in our first year of running...

1. It's a process. A physical process, mental process, and spiritual process. What begins as a means to lose weight or  health improvement, becomes a life changing process that feeds your mind, body and spirit. It's sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes mundane, sometimes easy, occasionally very hard, always changing, always evolving process. And so so worth every experience that comes with.

2. Some days you rock, and some days you just don't.

3. The first mile is ALWAYS the hardest. If you've been running a month or running for years, you've learned this. One of my favorite quotes is "never judge a run by the first mile"...yes! You will struggle to find your pace, your breathing will be out of whack, you will be all over the place in your mind, and then, a mile or two in, you will find your place...your good place...the place you go to run the next 4 miles, the place that makes you love it. The place that makes you lace up tomorrow and do it again.

4. Music helps. It has become my private time, to worship, reflect, and look within. I have my favorite worship/christian music with the occasional favorite artist mixed in and saved to my Running Playlist. I never used music during my previous running experiences, but I've come to really enjoy it!

5. Get sweat proof ear buds. The ones that come with your phone are NOT suited for running. ;) 

6. Best laid plans sometimes aren't meant to be. But the beauty of running and training for a big race or reaching a goal you set is that the success is not always in running/completing the race, but in training for it. Sometimes, much to our disappointment, we set a goal or register for a race and it just doesn't work out, and we move on, better, for the training experience and lessons learned in the process. 

7. I've tucked my tail and accepted that I actually HATE the expensive running shoes I thought I HAD to have to make me fully qualified to enjoy the sport. I HATE them. They are the biggest, ugliest, shoes I've ever had. I kick myself when I run in them, they just aggravate the snot out of me. I will eventually go to find a running shoe alternative for these, after baby when I get going good again, but for now, my pride says I must wear them until I can't anymore. As much as I hate them though, they have taught me. They have taught me that you may not get it right the first time. They have taught me that just because they work for someone else doesn't mean they will work for you. And they have taught me that I was a "runner" long before I got these shoes. Some people need big thick soles, some go barefoot. Some people need a certain type of socks, hats, shorts, tops, etc. And what works for you may or may not be the same as some one else. It's in the journey, that you find your place and through trial and error that you figure out these details, and it's all part of the fun.  

8. Weather is irrelevant. Before last summer, I would let a rain shower, cold day, or windy day stop me. I would be easily convinced that it wasn't appropriate weather to be out, and last year, I figured out that it is on those days that is actually the most fun and rewarding. I mean, I feel like a kid when I go for a rain run...and we have even gone as a family a  few times...so fun! When you finish and realize that nothing, NOTHING stands between you and your wellness or goals, magic happens! It's awesome!

9. Injury. It happens. It happens with any and everything you do. We have both had a couple hiccups, causing forced time off or forced lulls in the progression, but again, they teach us. An injury does not mean stop. It doesn't  mean give up. It means how bad do you want it. How much are you willing to work for it. It test you and it teaches you. And if you can hang in there, you run out of the other side, stronger spiritually, mentally and physically.  

10. Cross train. I never did in previous running days. This time around, we got into strength training, completed the beachbody PIYO program (totally love it!!) and supplement with 30 minute workout videos, or short strength training circuits. They have been so beneficial to us. We can see so many benefits to doing more to support your body than just cardio running. During PIYO, a combo of pilates and yoga, I felt my run change. Running became easier. Cross training provides such amazing support to the muscles used to run and really helps you become better, not to mention the variety is fun! There is so much you can do! And it's an opportunity to really test your muscles and build them.

11. You never know until you try. There's a waiting period. You can give up and say it's not for you after a time or two (I've done that many times), or you have to give an honest 4 months (12 weeks is what I set my original goal) to really see where running (walking or exercise of choice), clean eating, and self discipline will take you. If you can muscle through the "don't want to", "what am I doing this for", "this is not going to change me" part, then you will look back and realize you have just reached a point in the journey of no going back. The part where it becomes less about a number on the scale or a pant size and more about wholeness, and THAT is the best part!

I am so grateful for this journey, the only regret I have is that I didn't figure it out years ago. It's an amazing experience, as a parent, to teach your children how to take care of themselves. To do what they can to treat their body, given by God, with respect. To go out and run with the kids alongside, or bike ride with them following, to grocery shop while they pick out all the "good stuff"....this, THIS is the best reward thus far from our journey. I have become a better version of myself, a more complete me, and I am so glad they have been able to take this journey with me, and I look so forward to many many more years of living healthy, feeding our bodies, mind, and spirit what it needs to keep us the best we can be. Call us crazy, but we are loving this and so grateful.